Clutch



T. J. KELLY.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION man JUNE 5, |920.

1,384,324. mummy 12,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. KELLY, OF ASHKUM, ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH.

Specification 0I" Letters Patent.4 Patented July 12, 192L Application led June 5, 1920. Serial No. 386,740.

certain means whereby the clutch is automatically released when overloaded, regardless of the direction of rotation.

The object of my invention is to provide a clutch which may be adjusted to work under certain load conditions, but if overloaded, will release itself without attention, and without detriment to the attached shafting and mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds andv with reference to the accompanying drawings in whirh like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of which:

Figure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of one form of my device.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of F l, with the tension spring and nut removed.

Any approved form et universal joint is shown at l, suitably connected to shafting (not shown). Attached to this member is drum 2. A square shaft 3 carries a sleeve l located within the drum 2. Mounted on sleeve il are slotted lugs G Carrying between them dogs 5 pivotcd on pin 7. Disk S is formed integral with sleeve et' and lugs G and serves as a brace.

Surrounding the sleeve and abutting one face ofdogs 5 is a spring 9, the tension of which is adjusted by means of nuts 10.

In operation, the nuts l0 are adjusted so that the spring exerts the required pressure on dogs 5, which acting on their pivot form a frictional contact withthe inner periphery of the drum 2. By this action, the two shafts are caused to revolve, and this tension is su'flicient to carrythe working load without slipping, but when this load approaches the breaking strain of the machine operated by the clutch, the dogs slip and thus through a partial release avoid detrimental effect to the machinery.

The advantages of this improved form of clutch will be readily apparent, as by use of the co-acting drum and dogs, a simple and efficient frictional contact is made. The ten* sion spring and lock nuts allow various adjustments to be made to adapt the clutch to diti'erent working loads. It will also be seen that there will be practically no moves ment of the dogs, but merely a varying of the pressure against the inner face of drum 2.

Obviously a belt may be driven from the periphery of cylinder 2, shaft 4; being the drive shaft, or the driven mechanism may be remote from either universal joint l or shaft ll.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In combination with a shaft having' a drum attached thereto, a second shaft extending within said drum, radially disposed pairs of lugs mounted on said second shaft, pivoted dogs carried between the lugs Y adapted to engage the inner periphery of said drum, and a spring acting against one face of said dogs. Y

2. rIhe device of claim l, said spring being` coaxial with said second shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

'rnoMAs J. KELLY. 

